Harsh look in the mirror

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15 years ago we beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.  The team that night was:

Boruc
Caldwell, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor
McGeady, Brown, Hartley, Jarosik
McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink

Kennedy and Naylor went off injured in the first half, replaced by Pressley and Donati.  Needing the winner, Gordon Strachan hooked Vennegoor of Hesselink and put on Chris Killen (!).  It is also worth noting the quality of that group.  Top seed Milan were reigning champions, Shakhtar would win the following season’s Uefa Cup and Benfica were no slouches.

Some sides flatter to deceive, Gordon Strachan’s Celtic did not deceive and did not flatter.  They delivered without looking anything other than industrial.  Those European nights were fabulous, domestically, however, it was often a hard watch.

I’m not going to ask you if you would swap what you had then for what we have now, we are enjoying today’s Celtic too much, also recency bias would intervene.  All that would change if we were in second place in Scotland.  Winning is all when you are behind in the race you really want to win.

Ange Postecoglou will also know sentiment is never fixed.  He will have to improve European results with his current expansive style, change styles or eventually endure a drop in sentiment.  Automatic qualification for the Champions League provides shelter.

As long as we win the league and the league winners get to the group stage, we will be able to indulge on the big stage.  That would not be the case if we were to face a qualification round.  Then, winning would be everything, just as it was with Gordon.  If we take a harsh look in the mirror, results in what was an easier Champions League group have been disappointing and the manner in which we were exposed on the counter suggests no learning since Bodo/Glimt earlier this year.  The slide from topping our Europa group in 2019 against Lazio, Rennes and Cluj is all tactical.

 

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306 Comments

  1. bigrailroadblues on

    It really is so much fun meeting all the guys and gals on here over the years. I hope to meet friends old and new tomorrow. My wonderful Celtic family. 💚🇮🇪

  2. My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    So many personal stories on the blog. So sad but so uplifting also.

     

     

    So much praise for our carers. Our NHS, our people are amazing. It must never be compromised. Never, it is non negotiable.

     

     

    To the blog “It doesn’t matter how slow you go, as long as you don’t stop.

     

     

    HH to all.

     

     

    PS : Enjoy the swally tomorrow. Sometimes work sucks.

  3. Guys I am working tomorrow but took a half day A/L to go and meet good ole bhoys and BRRB 😉

     

     

    D :)

  4. Back to Tues night

     

     

    Can we not just accept,

     

    we come up against an exceptional player

     

    With phenomenal pace

     

    That scored a fantastic goal from outside the box ?

     

     

    I seen 3 players and a goalkeeper to be beaten with the shot

     

    Not much more we could have done

  5. TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 27TH OCTOBER 2022 5:12 PM

     

    TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 27TH OCTOBER 2022 6:08 PM

     

     

    Post of the year(and follow up) Tom.

     

    Courageous to share your experience,when asked by Drambowie Celt,learning for all

     

     

    Thank you.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  6. Belmont Brian 7.15

     

     

    Sound post BB.am learning a bit bout bravery and positivity reading the responses of yourself and other Celts with your knowledge :-) it’s real strength.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. Really humbling to read back,the best of luck and the best of health, to the Bhoys on here,if it creates talking points, more folk are liable to get checked out.

  8. Just hope we’re not going tae have another outbreak of bampottery, banality and buffoonery on this blessed blog later in the wee wee hours agin. Anyways enough about Aipple…..

     

    Nurse!

  9. Just read that adidas may bring out another Celtic top.

     

    Is it right or wrong? According to my grandchildren yes ,sooner the better.

     

    But the ? Is who can afford it.

     

    The youngsters love all the tops so surely bring new tops out at a reduced price .

     

    Maximum sales at minimum price .HH

  10. Hello again all you young rebels

     

     

    From a still pissin doon Melbourne peninsula.

     

    Water …water.. everywhere and not a drop to drink.

     

    Thank feck for the rid biddy. 🍷

     

    Never been so proud on reading back the last couple of

     

    pages on CQN, never seen the usual sh!t posted by the

     

    troll as I’ve been exhausted at nights trying to train our

     

    young loons how to play the Celtic way.

     

    So much compassion shown to DRAMBOWIECELT and

     

    very personal information explained by RON BACARDI and

     

    TOM MCLAUGHLAN,, SCULLYBHOY and others about that

     

    Dreadful illness.

     

    These are all posters I’ve communicated with over many

     

    years on here and although not always agreeing, I still think

     

    of them as family and I feel for them.

     

    So it’s another TGIF morning here bhoys, rest assured I’ll

     

    have an extra wee snifter today and toast to you all returning

     

    to good health. 👏 👏 👏

     

    H H. Mick

  11. JIMBO67 on 27TH OCTOBER 2022 9:05 PM

     

    St Stivs

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Is it Vojvodina away?

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Jimbo

     

     

    ————

     

     

    superb.

     

     

    descirbed on the photo as

     

     

    serbian fans without tickets, locked out at 30,000 capacity,

     

     

    i wonder how many glagow fans were there ? only those on the chartered flight ?

  12. garygillespieshamstring on

    Jimbo : brilliant

     

     

    St Stivs brilliant question, research and photo.

     

     

    I thought only us Tims climbed floodlights.

  13. Hideous individual that Hartley Brewer individual.

     

     

    A version of the Hopkins woman on steroids.

     

     

    Vile character.

     

     

    How any of these types can continue to defend Brexit is astonishing. Barefaced lying scum.

     

     

    Brexit is screwing us all over ….. as other great lies from our leaders which most folks gleefully lapped up as a nation this past few years ….

  14. this is a brilliant evocative image.

     

     

    if your bus parked at the barrowfield gallowgate side, you walked up janefield street on the left.

     

    you can see the clean grey roof of the jungle, the big black half roof of the celtic end, the four pylons of light. the elceticty pylon stil there today. the old main stand ? or the new main stand 1971 over lokked by the primary school.

     

     

    can you smell those rolls in a cardboard box ?

     

     

    https://icdn.thecelticstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/0c29e9e91995d275b8588e636c8dfe43.jpg

  15. Cannot beat walking up the Gallowgate and see the floodlights guiding you home to Paradise.

     

    Used to be an ex Celtic player in charge of the lights, saw Neil Mochan score 5 against St Mirren under the lights.

     

    Boots were donated to club, don’t know if their still on display

  16. Good happy Friday morning yall from a dark but beautiful Garngad.

     

     

    No moonhowing on nightshift? Just sensible posting, it will never catch on.

     

     

    Right hope to see some of you later but for now its the 3 S’s shave, shower and shhhhhhhhhampoo.

     

     

    MM – Always love hearing about the young footy players over in your neck of the woods. Keep up the good work it can be very trying at times but we were all young and daft ar 1 time….noo we are auld and daft😂

     

     

    Laters

     

     

    D :)

  17. St Stivs at 11.44

     

     

    An educated guess from your clue. I knew it was not Dukla as it was played in daylight. Flipped a mental coin on Vojvodina and Nantes!

     

     

    Have a good day all. Had a very annoying one yesterday and am actually glad to be going to work soon.

     

     

    Jimbo

  18. bigrailroadblues on

    Good morning all from Govanhill. Come on ye Celts down to the Shipbank today and have a laugh and a fun afternoon. Let the good times roll! HH

  19. Further to picture

     

     

    St Stivs asked in his reply about fans travelling abroad in those and whether they went to Serbia ( or Yugoslavia as it was then parf of.) I don,’t know that many did but I think Nantes in the previous round was the first sizeable support we took with us. My late dad had a friend, Charlie, who lived and worked in France went to games in Barcelona and the Netherlands to see us and he thought he was literally the only Celtic supporter outside of the official party at those games.

     

     

    Jimbo

  20. Melbourne Mick on

    Hello again all you young rebels.

     

     

    Not going to mention the weather, no siree, but I will stress

     

    I had to get a canoe home from the club today. 🚣

     

    Had a great day , those epl fuds are so easy to wind up, and all

     

    you have to do is turn them against one another, first British

     

    team to win big ears, Battles of Britain, Chelsea’s Russian dirty

     

    money, Man City.. who, Man United only won when they had

     

    Scots in their team, and on.. and on lol.

     

    David 66

     

    So envious of you good bhoys all meeting up in my aul haunt

     

    the Shipbank, rest assured if I’d been home, and as a card carrying

     

    member of the drink like a fish, couldn’t fight sleep, and dance like

     

    a dervish type of ghuy, I’d be first in the door to meet you all.

     

    Don’t know if I could match Belmont Brian with the jokes though

     

    as I tend to forget the punchline’s.

     

    Our club had a record amount of new kids the first night of spring

     

    training, I’ve got the under 7s and 8s, it’s amazing how many Oz

     

    kids want to learn the beautiful game, the Aussie rules hierarchy

     

    are doing all they can to stem this tide of soccer taking over here,

     

    but to me anyway it’s futile, it’s only a matter of time.

     

    Lastly, my team for the plastic macaronls.

     

    Anybody that’s wants to wear the hoops and give their all for the

     

    cause.

     

    H H. Mick

  21. Melbourne Mick on

    Gday BRB

     

     

    Bet you are hyped up for today, hope it’s a big turnout of the CQN

     

    Glitteratti.

     

    Please keep that unruly mob in order, especially that BIG JIMMY

     

    ghuy, he could empty a pub quicker than a hand grenade 💥

     

    H H. Mick

  22. Good morning to all the… Shipbank Pint Shifters …LOL..have a great day……

     

    Hi Mick always love to hear about the youngsters and their footie…,,

     

    Right 7mile school run beckons and the heavens have opened woo hoo.

     

     

     

     

     

    H.H